Possibly Maybe
by czechers
Summary: A collection of random Ranma/Akane tidbits placed in alphabetical order. Z is for Zero: Zero is the number of kids Akane would want with Ranma.
1. A is for Animal Crackers

Akane looked up at him expectantly, a hopeful expression on her face. "I made these today at school. Try one?" she said in a polite tone Ranma rarely ever heard. Wearing a frilly apron over her school uniform, she held out the plate so the cookies were next to his chest.

Reluctantly, Ranma picked one up. It didn't look too bad: a little messy, a little overcooked, but somewhat edible.

"They're animal crackers!" Akane explained joyfully.

Ranma examined it, squinting. "I know what it is," he said pleasantly. "It's a llama!"

Akane's expression deflated. "It's a giraffe," she muttered.

Inwardly cringing, Ranma picked up another one. "And this one's a praying mantis. Cool!"

"Zebra."

"Submarine!"

"It's a whale," she seethed.

"Shark?"

"Dolphin." Akane bared her teeth in anger; her left eye twitched.

"Well, this one for sure is a scorpion!"

That was the last straw. "It's a butterfly, you jerk!" she screamed, smashing the plate of cookies into his face before storming off.

"Ow." He winced and brushed the crumbs off his face. He bent over to clean up the mess they had made. "Stupid Akane. Why'd you have to be so uncute?"

He licked a stray crumb off his lip. Ranma cocked his head to the side. "Huh. Not bad."

* * *

**A/N: **Every drabble has been/will be pre-read by my betas M&N. Thank you!


	2. B is for Breakfast

The constant buzzing of the alarm clock was an annoyance to both sets of ears. With one swift move, Akane turned it off. Eyes still closed, Akane sunk more into her pillow. "It's your turn to cook breakfast."

Ranma groaned but made no sudden movement. "I'll give you 50,000 yen if you cook it for me," he negotiated." He still made no effort to get up.

Akane lazily swatted his arm. "I'm not Nabiki, you idiot. All the money in the world isn't going to change the fact that it's _your_ turn to cook breakfast." She elbowed Ranma in the ribs, but that barely got a reaction out of him.

Ranma had successfully drifted off to sleep, evident by his quiet snores.

"Ranma," Akane warned angrily, but made no physical movements to admonish him, "I swear, one of these days I'm going to kill you."

The room was silent again: the two had gone back to sleep.

--

She trudged her feet across the floor and headed down the stairs. Reaching the kitchen cupboard, she groggily grabbed a clean bowl and poured the box's contents of sugared corn flakes into the bowl. Risa yawned, slightly irritated.

One of these days, her parents were going to have to wake up early enough to cook breakfast for her.


	3. C is for Children

**A/N:** "Possibly Maybe" is named after my favorite Bjork song. Thanks again to M&N for the proofreading!

* * *

Akane leaned over the balcony; her arms were crossed and rested on the wooden railing. She stared off into the sky, a warm orange due to the sunset.

Ranma approached her apprehensively. "Akane?"

"Can you believe it?" Akane asked breathlessly, not taking her eyes off the sky. "I'm so excited that I'm going to be auntie!"

She was, of course, talking about Kasumi's announcement today that she and her husband would be expecting their first child in seven months or so. Akane, Nabiki, and Nodoka instantly took to fussing over Kasumi while the men in the house stared awkwardly at Kasumi's husband.

Ranma joined his fiancée by the railing. She hadn't been this excited about something in a while. It was sort of…cute. "You ever think about having kids?"

"Huh?" This caught Akane off guard. She turned her head to Ranma and looked at him. "You mean, in general?"

"In general," Ranma agreed. "Or," he turned his head, averting his gaze, "with me."

A smile tugged at her lips. "Oh, Ranma," she replied. "You pervert."

"What?" Ranma looked up as his cheeks grew hotter. "I didn't mean— I'm not a—"

A giggle escaped from Akane. "I'm joking! As for your question…" She looked straight into Ranma's eyes. "Yes, I've thought about it—maybe once or twice." She smirked and began to walk away.

Ranma blushed even harder. "In general, or with me?" he managed to squeak out.

The fleeting girl turned her head to look at him but continued walking. "Wouldn't you like to know," she laughed.

He watched her joyously skip away, transfixed on her bubbly laugh. Ranma shook himself out of his stupor. "Girls," he muttered, but he allowed a small smile to come across his face.


	4. D is for Dream

Ranma woke up to find his wife's side of the bed unoccupied. After changing, he made his way down the stairs.

Walking into the kitchen, Ranma grinned. His wife had her back turned from him, aggressively chopping an onion. Leaning on her from behind, he placed a kiss on the back of her head. "Morning."

"Ranma, don't distract me!" she exclaimed, never turning away from her task.

This only made him chuckle and reach over to kiss her cheek. "Calm down," he told her against her cheek.

This made her visibly relax. Setting down the knife, she turned around to face Ranma, back pressed against the counter. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," he replied, brushing her cheek with his thumb before leaning in to kiss her fully on the lips. She responded positively, her arms wrapping around his body. They kissed for a while until they smelled something burning.

"Oh no! My omelet!" she screamed, dashing over to the stove to save breakfast. Ranma laughed and set out to help Akane before things got worse.

* * *

Ranma woke up, dazed. _What a weird dream_, he thought, shaking his head. After changing for school, Ranma walked downstairs and sat down at the table for breakfast. Upon seeing Akane across the table, his face grew hot. His mind flashed to an image of their dream kiss in the kitchen.

Akane must've noticed his gaze because she raised a wary eyebrow and said, "What are _you_ staring at?"

"Not an uncute girl like you," he retorted, looking away. His temper flared momentarily and just as easily left. As soon as Akane centered her attention to her breakfast, Ranma snuck a glance at her.

Maybe being married to Akane wouldn't be so bad after all.


	5. E is for Elopement

Akane learns to like their tiny one-bedroom apartment, to tolerate the creaky floors, to accept the hot-to-instantly-cold showers she takes before bed. And really, the too-small futon is the perfect excuse to snuggle up to her husband at night.

She learns to expect the instant ramen noodles almost every other night, and learns to accept the fact that they can't afford ingredients for the simplest of meals.

They don't have enough money to buy a car or even a bike, so her husband walks with her to work every morning. And every afternoon, when school gets out, he's already by the gate to walk with her home.

She'd place her students' papers in her bag, put on her brown wool coat, and walk out of the building alongside her students. At the sight of her husband, she'd smile brightly. He'd smile back as Akane walks closer, and, if he dared, he would place a kiss on her temple.

"Bye, Mrs. Saotome," the boys would say, rushing by.

"See you tomorrow, Mrs. Saotome, Mr. Saotome!" the girls would say before clustering together and giggling behind their hands.

On their way home, they would talk to each other about their day with their fingers intertwined.

Akane is happy. She and Ranma are both happy. She _knows_ it.

But there are times when the rusty pipes or the lack of a good home-cooked meal or the constant fear they might not make rent gets to be too much for her. As much as she loves her husband, sometimes Akane gets lonely with Ranma being her only friend in this town. If she thought the salary of a high school teacher was bad, the assistant to a local martial arts master was even worse. And with barely making ends meet, their desire to start a family together has to be put on hold.

Akane doesn't want her elopement to Ranma to be mistaken for cowardice, so every week she calls home to catch up. Either Kasumi or Nabiki would pick up and the two sisters would chat, happy to hear the other's voice. Their conversation would be cut short, however, when Soun takes the phone from one of his daughters and begs Akane to come home.

"Daddy, please try to understand," Akane pleads as she kneels on the floor. Tears would stream down her face as she talks to her father. She'd shake her head stubbornly while Ranma wordlessly holds a hand for support. "We can't come back, Daddy, you know that!" she cries brokenly. "Not until we can make sure that both of us are safe, that we won't come home to people trying to kill us every day."

Akane knew it would be hard. She knew that moving to another town, when she lived in Nerima her whole life, would be difficult. But she knew it would be harder to have stayed married and alive if she and Ranma didn't leave.

It doesn't stop her from missing her family, however.

And so, when the time comes for Akane to hang up, she will seek comfort in the form of her husband. Sitting on the floor, Akane will clutch the front of Ranma's shirt and cry loudly into his chest while Ranma can helplessly do nothing else.


	6. F is for First Love

**Timeline (follows anime):** After Ranma finds out Akane's crush on Dr. Tofu (and he tells her Akane the possibility of her and Dr. Tofu getting together could still happen), before Ryoga accidentally cuts Akane's hair.

* * *

Ranma had meant it when he said a relationship between Akane and Dr. Tofu could happen. He didn't just say it in hopes of cheering her up. Dr. Tofu, Ranma could easily admit, was a really good guy.

Ranma looked up from his schoolwork and turned his direction to his fiancée.

Akane, when she didn't have to deal with him and therefore when she kept her temper, was probably the nicest and sweetest girl he knew. She had a cute smile that was never directed towards him; the blush on her cheek was meant for someone else. And that's why he could see it happening. Dr. Tofu brought out the best in Akane, a talent that Ranma could not boast for himself.

He stared at Akane for a few moments. Her chin rested on a propped hand, and he idly wondered what she was thinking about. She tucked a strand of her impossibly long hair behind her ear. And, as if she could feel his gaze on her, she turned her head back. Their eyes met, but Ranma was the first to look away.

Ranma couldn't understand why, but he really hoped nothing would happen between the chiropractor and his fiancée.


	7. G is for Gorilla

**A/N:** Thanks to M&N for betaing!

* * *

It was no ordinary sight for Nerima to see Akane Tendo and Ranma Saotome arguing. What was rather odd, however, was the fact that Ranma sported a small, overstuffed Doraemon backpack while Akane walked next to him pushing a stroller. But aside from the stroller, the sleeping child in the stroller, the backpack, and the fact that Akane wore a white sundress and a wide-brimmed straw hat, everything appeared to be the same: Ranma with a "I'm-annoyed-but-too-cool-to-care" look, Akane with a scowl on her face.

Ranma casually walked next to her, hands clasped at the back of his head.

"I'm serious, Ranma. No funny business today," Akane warned him. "Kasumi's trusting me with Ichiro's life, and the last thing I need is someone trying to fight you while he's nearby!" A look of worry crossed her face.

"Come on, Akane," Ranma replied, slightly irritated. "Nothing's gonna happen. And it ain't like I ever start it." He glanced in her direction and saw her frowning. "Relax, _Auntie Akane_," he said soothingly, emphasizing her beloved title, "Ichiro's gonna have a blast."

Akane scoffed and continued on their course. But her irritated face was exchanged for a hopeful one. For her nephew's sake, today _had_ to be good.

While on the train, Ichiro had woken up and had cried until Akane had placed him on her lap. He giggled, showing off a mouthful of saliva and baby teeth, when, through the bumps and speed of the subway, Akane pretended to be a galloping horse. It was only halfway through the ride that Ranma realized they must've looked like a young married couple complete with their first-born child: Ranma latching onto the handles of the stroller so it wouldn't roll away, Akane playing with a cheerful Ichiro. It was confirmed when the elderly woman sitting across from them flashed him an affectionate, approving smile.

True to Ranma's word, there had been no fights at the zoo. So far, they had successfully avoided any type of feline, and Akane began to relax. They were actually having fun. Ranma was behaving, and it surprised her how well he was doing with Ichiro.

After seeing the giraffes, zebras, and hippos, Ranma had actually made a good decision and suggested they visit the petting zoo. While Ranma helped Ichiro approach a goat, Akane leaned against the fence, watching over the stroller and backpack. Ranma crouched over to pet the goat while Ichiro hid shyly behind his leg. Although Akane couldn't hear him from all the commotion of the petting zoo, she saw Ranma coax her nephew into touching the soft white coat.

After Ichiro got the hang of petting the animals, Ranma looked up and shot her a grin. Akane couldn't help it. Seeing Ranma with Ichiro made her heart flutter. And while she told herself to quit it, the pounding of her heart in her ears disobeyed her.

While Ranma pushed Ichiro in the stroller, Akane walked silently beside him. After many moments, Ranma decided to risk the peace. "Everything all right?"

Akane nodded, pensive. "I just realized," she admitted, as they continued on their path to the pandas, "that I'm a year older than when Kasumi had Ichiro."

Ranma processed this. "Is—is that a bad thing?"

It was quiet again—at least between the two. Other families surrounded them; children laughed and skipped as parents called after them, demanding they behave. Once more, Ranma was aware that they, too, were presumed to be a family.

"No," Akane finally answered, a slight smile on her lips. "Not really." With both her hands, Akane straightened out the position of her hat, which started to tilt on one side. "I think I just want what she has…someday."

It was Ranma's turn to fall silent. He couldn't deny it, though. The thought of having what Akane was yearning for—it was nice. Real nice. The thought of having what Akane was yearning for actually _with_ Akane? It was even better. He could feel his face grow hot.

"Tell me something, Ranma," she continued, not looking him in the eyes. "Do you think we'll ever get married? I mean, I don't mean any time soon, but we're twenty-four and have been engaged for—"

"We will," he interrupted confidently, surprising himself. "Someday," he added.

"Yeah," she agreed, somewhat dazedly.

--

As they looked at the pandas, Ichiro sat on Ranma's shoulders, holding onto his pigtail for extra balance. "Look!" Ranma exclaimed brightly, pointing at the biggest and laziest panda in the enclosure. With one hand Ranma held onto Ichiro's leg. With the other, he pointed at the exhibit. "It's Grandpa Genma!" Ichiro giggled noisily at his joke, and soon Ranma and Akane joined in on the laughter.

"I'm going to get a snack," Akane announced, spotting a cart by the gorillas. "You want anything?"

Ranma looked up at the child who was slurping happily on an apple juice box. His throat was feeling parched. "Just water," he replied, as he reached into his pocket for money.

Akane shook her head. "My treat," Akane insisted pleasantly. "You paid for the tickets. Just watch Ichiro and the stroller, okay?"

As she turned her back, Ranma couldn't help but watch her walk away with a goofy grin on his face. They were getting along so well today!

"You enjoying your visit to the zoo?" the vendor asked Akane after she placed her order.

"Yes." Akane nodded. "Thank you."

"Are you with your family?"

She nodded again. "They're just over there." She gestured to Ranma and Ichiro. It pleased Akane that her answer came out so naturally. She walked back to her fiancé and nephew, bottle of water in one hand and a bag of peanuts in the other.

"It's Auntie Akane," she heard Ranma exclaim. At first she thought Ranma was talking about her, but soon realized he was pointing at a gorilla who was hitting another with its fists. Ranma howled in laughter, and Ichiro began to laugh too.

"_Ranma_," she said darkly, glowering, "I _heard_ that." She started to crush the plastic bottle in her hand.

Ichiro spent the remainder of the day being carried by Auntie Ranko.


	8. H is for Home

**Warning: **Sad!fic.

* * *

The light filtered into the room through the window. Ranma slowly woke up, but closed his eyes again. For what seemed like a lifetime ago, Ranma remembered a time where he never woke up peacefully, that the commotion at the Tendo household marked the beginning of a brand new day.

The sun was warm against his skin, and Ranma almost wished he could just stay in bed all day and nap under the yellow bed sheets with no chores or errands to do. Almost. He could play hooky on any other day but Thursday.

Practically hopping off the bed, he made his way to the closet. Sliding the door open, he looked at the wardrobe selection. He smiled fondly at the fact that his clothes mixed with Akane's. After taking his orange shirt with the little red bowtie off the hanger, he lovingly touched a pink dress that was next to it. Smiling, he shook his head at Akane's love for the dress. Though he was still a girl half of time, Ranma would probably never understand why girls (especially Akane) liked dresses.

After changing and walking downstairs, Ranma set himself at the dining table. Breakfast was already set. "Morning, Kasumi."

"Good morning," Kasumi chirped, smiling. "Did you sleep well last night?"

As far as pleasantries went, Ranma appreciated Kasumi's the most because they were by far the sweetest and most sincere. Others hesitated around him; they looked at him with eyes full of apprehension and pity. Kasumi, though, sometimes seemed like the only one who cared about his actual well-being. She made sure he ate enough, slept enough, practiced martial arts enough.

In between scarfing down his rice (because if one thing hadn't changed, it was Ranma's table manners) he nodded an answer to Kasumi's question.

"You're going by the hospital today, Ranma?" Kasumi took out a piece of carbon copy out of her apron pocket. She placed it on the table before Ranma. "Could you please pick up Father's prescription? I'm afraid he's all out."

Ranma drained the rest of his tea and placed the cup down with a "thud." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Of course." He got up and stuffed the paper into his pocket. "I'll do it beforehand."

* * *

He walked into the shop, dozens of white buckets filled to the brim with flowers. The shop owner, a large man with glasses and a mustache wearing a blue apron over his clothes, turned around. "Ah, Mr. Saotome!" He glanced at a calendar tacked onto the wall. "Is it Thursday already? You off to visit your wife today?"

Ranma smiled. "Mmhm," he said in reply to both questions. A few minutes later, Ranma cradled a large bouquet of yellow carnations to his chest. His tight hold slightly crinkled the clear cellophane that surrounded the flowers. Walking past a few more buildings, he looked up to see a tall building. He walked through the front doors to retrieve Soun's medicine.

"Good morning, Mr. Saotome," the pharmacist said behind the glass window. The curly haired woman glanced at the flowers. "For Akane?" She smiled.

Ranma smiled back. "First I need my father's medication."

After getting the white paper bag that rattled as Ranma moved it, he thanked the pharmacist. Walking across the white-tiled corridor, Ranma exited through the back door. He looked at the empty lot behind the hospital building. He still had about a mile to get to where he was supposed to be. He walked next to the chain-link fence, the border keeping him from walking onto private property.

Soon, Ranma was by the entrance, the gate door opened for anyone to come in. He stepped onto the grassy earth, knowing his way around. Within minutes, he was right where he wanted to be.

Tenderly, he touched the etching of the stone. He placed the flowers in front of the black marble that read Akane Saotome. "Hey, tomboy," he said softly. He lowered himself to the ground, not caring about the grass stains. Ignoring the lump in his throat and his misty eyes, he began to tell his wife about his week.

--

"Ranma," he heard a voice say behind him. Not getting up, he twisted his torso to turn around. Kasumi. She looked unsettled. "You stayed later than usual. We were worried." Her hands wrung the white apron she wore. She looked so misplaced, her kitchen apparel out in public.

Ranma looked up at the sky and noted that the sun had started to set. When had that happened? Hadn't he just gotten there two minutes ago?

"It's time to come home, Ranma."

Ranma nodded and got up, brushing the dirt off his pants. Picking up the white bag full of his father's-in-law prescription, he followed his sister-in-law out of the graveyard. He would follow Kasumi to the house, yes, but it wasn't home. No. In truth, without Akane, Ranma wasn't really sure where home was.


	9. I is for Ice Cream

**AN: **Thanks to M&N for the beta!

* * *

His mouth watered at the sight before him. The dish he ordered called for scoops of vanilla, different shades of fruit syrups, nuts, whipped cream, kiwis, bananas, and cherries. It was the most expensive sundae on the menu—and he was paying squat for it, thanks to his hot little bod he had no problem taking advantage of.

He placed his attention to the waiter, eyes sparkling gratefully. "Thanks ever so much, mister!" he squealed, placing his fists under his chin.

The waiter, a boy his age with shaggy brown hair, spluttered a "You're welcome, miss" in return. The waiter seemed to have trouble functioning after that.

Grabbing a spoon, Ranma smirked inwardly. There was no doubt about it: he was a better girl than his tomboyish fiancée would ever be. Without another second of hesitation, he began to put a dent in his sundae.

"Ranma," Akane muttered from across the table. She rolled her eyes, grabbing her own spoon and sticking it into the shared dessert. "You are such a dummy."


	10. J is for Jealousy

Ranma fumed as they walked home from school. He didn't understand why he was feeling this way—or better yet, why Akane _wasn't_. They walked in their usual spots: Ranma walking on the fence and Akane on the bordering sidewalk. But it was different this time. Usually it was Akane who was sulking about something, _not_ him. Continuing his pace, Ranma stole a glance at Akane. She was unnervingly calm.

Ranma didn't get it. _Why_?

It hadn't been a surprise when a random guy had shown up at the Tendos the previous evening. It wasn't a shocker, either, when Masato Whatshisface revealed that Akane's father had made an uncompromising vow with his own. No, what was unexpected was that this Masato guy was apparently promised to one of Soun's daughters. To make matters worse, the contract that this guy provided (complete with Soun's unmistakable signature) guaranteed a daughter equipped with the Art.

Translation: the guy wanted Akane.

It was impossible to tell Masato otherwise, that Akane was already engaged, that wouldn't he rather have someone like Kasumi who could actually sew and cook and clean? Masato refused, however, reminding Soun that years ago, he promised a future bride and, in exchange, Masato's father would not press charges for all the stolen lingerie in their town.

Every resident at the Tendo house besides Soun and Akane was outraged, insulting him (Genma, Ranma, and Nabiki) or politely but firmly telling him to reconsider (Kasumi). Soun just cried constantly, weeping over the shouting. "I don't remember!" he bawled repeatedly throughout the night. Akane simply got to her feet, shrugged, and silently went to her room.

Ranma couldn't fathom why Akane's reaction had bothered him so much. And it irritated him even more that she had woken up earlier this morning just to cook her father breakfast. She had cheerfully presented her father with what was supposed to be eggs and had warned everyone else that this dish was for her father's taste buds only.

At school, it was the same thing. She hadn't blamed Ranma for their tardiness and had swiftly beaten Kuno without so much as a scowl on her face. She ignored Ranma during class and lunch, choosing to talk only with her friends.

And now here they were, quietly walking home. Well, Ranma thought, if Akane didn't care, why should he? He hopped off the fence when he reached the end and walked beside Akane.

"You're moodier than usual," Akane finally offered as a start of conversation. She held her book bag in front of her with both her hands, and seemed determined to keep her eyes on the sidewalk before them.

"Yeah, and I see you're not." Ranma pulled at his backpack straps. Akane didn't reply. He leered at her. "Don't tell me you're actually okay with this," he continued.

"Don't be stupid, Ranma," she growled. "Of course not!" Ranma had to admit that her retort had slightly relieved him.

"Yeah, well…You certainly ain't showin' it. You just shrugged and left. You didn't even argue. Everyone else had to do it for you! And now ya got two fiancés, if you've forgotten!" This, Ranma could tell, had riled her up.

"So what?" she yelled, her face contorted in anger. "I can't have more than one fiancé? Is that it? Is there some rule I don't know about where Ranma Saotome is the one person in the world who can have multiple engagements?"

They had stopped walking, choosing to have their spat on the sidewalk where they were attracting quite a lot of attention.

"Did I _say_ that?" Ranma shouted back. He leaned closer to Akane; their faces were inches apart. "I just wanna know why you're not fighting tooth and nail to get out of this engagement like you do with ours!"

Akane took a step backwards, a stunned look on her face. She shook her head, quickly recovering. She turned around and headed for home. Ranma followed suit. "I get it, Ranma," Akane said after a while. "You don't have to be jealous."

A blush formed on his cheeks. "Jealous? Over an unsexy macho chick like you? You wish!" was the first thing that came out of his mouth. Ranma couldn't help it. It was like it was an involuntary reply!

Akane lightly scoffed and did nothing else. She was the first to reach the gate. She reached the handle, but suddenly turned to Ranma, startling him. "For your information, I cooked Daddy breakfast as a form of punishment, as I will be cooking his meals until he begs or forces Masato to give up. Beg, force—I don't care as long as it ends. And as for why I'm so 'okay' with this…" She let out a breath. "It's because it really doesn't matter to me. He's not the one I'm planning on marrying."

She had said the last sentence so quickly, Ranma almost didn't catch all of it. After giving him a rare smile, Akane opened the gate and dashed in, leaving Ranma behind. Ranma relaxed as he walked through the gate. So she wasn't going to marry Masato.

Ranma halted. Wait a minute. A surge of jealousy flared up in Ranma, whether he wanted to acknowledge it or not.

Just _who_ was Akane planning on marrying?

Ranma ran after Akane, determined to find out.


	11. K is for Kiss

The door clicked shut behind Akane.

"I can't believe that…that…Nabiki!" Ranma seethed, baring his teeth. "That…that…ARGH!" He flopped on their bed.

Akane rolled her eyes as she leaned against the door, arms folded across her chest. "She was only telling the truth, Ranma. Your mother asked. Nabiki told." Akane shrugged.

Ranma sat up. "She told my mom about my first kiss! My first kiss was with a guy! Now she's gonna think I kiss random strange men! I'm lucky I'm not dead right now!"

Akane let out a giggle and made over to the bed. She knelt next to Ranma and placed a hand to his shoulder. Tenderly pushing him down so that he laid fully on the bed, she adjusted herself into a straddling position. She leaned over, and with her lips hovering gently above his, she murmured, "Poor sweet baby."

Ranma propped himself up with his elbows to kiss her. When they finally broke apart, Akane admitted breathlessly, "You know, my first kiss wasn't all that great either." She hung her head low so her bangs would cover her gaze.

Ranma brushed Akane's bangs out of her eyes. "Really?" he whispered, regretful.

"Dummy," she retorted quietly, "you don't even remember it. You were a _cat_."

"I swear I won't forget this one," he promised, once more capturing Akane's lips with his.


	12. L is for Last First Date

Akane was never really one for much makeup, but tonight, she hunched over and peered at the small mirror propped up on her desk. She smiled at herself, turning her head at different angles to make sure she looked all right. She had already slipped on the little black dress she borrowed from Nabiki, and Akane was beginning to get nervous.

Akane's door opened, and she turned around to see her sister standing in the doorway. A shoulder leaned against the threshold and Nabiki crossed her arms over her chest, smirking. Akane returned her attention to the mirror, picking up a brush and powdering her nose with it.

"You know," she heard Nabiki say behind her, "most people have their first date well before they're engaged."

"You can thank Daddy and Uncle Saotome for that," Akane quipped, never missing a beat. Expertly, she began applying a pale pink shade to her lips, smacking her lips together at the end of the process.

"To be honest, when Ranma asked for my help, I thought he was joking or on something," Nabiki admitted, still choosing to hover by the entrance. "I was about to charge him 1,000 yen for playing with me, but he mumbled something about wanting his last first date to be with you. Never really pegged him to be such a romantic fool."

Of course, Akane knew all about this already. She'd heard Ranma paid a pretty penny to keep this under wraps from his other fiancées and her suitors. (Rumor had it that Nabiki sent them to Sapporo to find a supposed magical bowl of ramen that, when eaten, granted the consumer three wishes.)

Akane set her mascara wand down. "Nabiki?" she called over her shoulder, turning her head slightly towards her sister. Silence overcame the two sisters as they looked at each other. Akane hesitated, while Nabiki looked at her expectantly. Akane stood up from her desk, exposing a triangle of skin on her back where the dress was not fastened. "Zip me up?"

--

Ranma waited by the front door, bouquet of red roses in hand. He blushed slightly when Akane had finally come downstairs. She gave him a small smile and glanced at his attire. Clad in a navy blue dress shirt, black slacks, and black dress shoes, Akane noticed neither of them was dressed like themselves. She decided it was okay, just this once.

She walked up to him, caring less and less that their families were watching. He extended his arms out, presenting the bouquet to her. She took it gratefully, holding it up to her face. She closed her eyes and sniffed it. Opening her eyes, she smiled.

"Thank you."

Akane turned to face their families, and Kasumi offered to take it and put it in a vase. She stepped into her black leather heels placed on the tiled floor by the front door, grabbing onto Ranma's arm for balance. Quickly letting go of his arm, she and Ranma looked at each other, almost shyly. "Shall we?" she offered. Ranma held out his hand and Akane took it, their fingers intertwining.

Together they walked out the door.


	13. M is for Mother in law

His hot breath against her ear tickled. "Akane," he whispered.

Her own voice was lost, lodged somewhere in her throat. Akane found herself pressed up against the wall, Ranma's body against her own. She gave soft gasps as he left a trail of kisses against her neck. Her eyes were closed in pleasure; her hands grabbed fistfuls of his hair and shirt. Ranma's own hands were flat against the wall, next to Akane's head, though as to steady himself. She curled her toes in anticipation. Akane hurriedly began to untie the knot at the waist of Ranma's pants, when she heard the door creak open.

The two froze in position: Akane's fingers tangled with the string, Ranma panting heavily on her neck. She noticed that Ranma's hands somehow traveled to both sides of her hips. He straightened up, allowing Akane to see who committed the crime of interrupting them. "Mom," Ranma said.

Akane instantly felt her cheeks grow warm at the sight of Nodoka. She always felt so underdressed around the always kimono-clad woman. It didn't help matters that Nodoka's only child was in the process of removing her thin cotton skirt. One tug and it would come right off.

"Auntie," Akane began.

"Ah ah ah!" Nodoka wagged her finger, bright smile on her face. "It's Mother now, remember?"

Akane let go of Ranma's pant strings and slapped his hands away. "R-Right," Akane managed, "Mother." She started smoothing out the front of her shirt, embarrassed at the fact her mother-in-law _wasn't_ embarrassed. In the corner of her eye, Ranma was just as flustered as she was. It was probably best that they were clothed, though. Being naked and caught was a situation Akane never wanted to encounter.

"Anyway, dears," Nodoka continued cheerfully, obviously happy that she had caught them in the act, "don't mind me. I just wanted to give you a few things before I forget." She dug into the sleeve of her flowered pink kimono and pulled out a pamphlet and a good luck charm shaped like a small tea bag, an _omamori_. She walked over and handed the charm to Ranma. "It's good luck for fertility," she explained. Akane's eyes widened as Ranma quickly dropped the charm as if it were on fire. He scrambled to catch it before it fell on the ground.

Nodoka turned to Akane and presented the pamphlet. She took it gingerly. The front pictured a drawing of a man and a woman in a very compromising position. At the top displayed the title: Top 10 Ways to Get Pregnant. Any desire to have sex completely died as she leafed through the pamphlet, eyes bulging as the figures did illicit things to each other. Akane especially ogled at #6. How could anyone get pregnant by doing _that_?

"It's amazing what you can find at the clinic these days," Nodoka said. "It said the most effective number is—"

"Ahhh! Thank you," Akane yelped frantically, "Mother," she added thoughtfully. "I'm sure this will be of good use." _Not_, she added mentally.

"Oh, good!" Nodoka placed her palms together and just grinned. After a few silent seconds, Nodoka moved towards the exit. "I can't wait!" She paused by the large bed covered in light blue sheets that took up most of the room. "Shame," she murmured. "Your father and I get you a nice bed as a wedding present, and you choose to make love against the wall." With that for Akane and Ranma to ponder, Nodoka left, closing the door behind her.

"First thing tomorrow we're getting a lock," Akane finally said, moving off the wall.

"Well, do you still wanna…" Ranma started, but immediately stopped when Akane whipped around and flashed him the harshest "Are you kidding me?" glare she ever mustered. Walking to the wastebasket, she chucked the pamphlet. Akane then proceeded to the closet to prepare for bed.

_Honestly!_ Akane shook her head, thinking to herself. Could her husband and mother-in-law think of nothing else? What a bunch of perverts.


	14. N is for Necklace

He knew she was upset—probably more than he'd ever seen her upset. Usually when he had done something, she'd thrash in rage, be quick to clench her fists and accuse. But this time…this time it was different.

She had looked so _lost_.

Not unlike what Ranma was feeling right now. Ranma looked up and took notice where his wandering feet took him. A jewelry shop? The window displayed strings of pearls, earrings encrusted with diamonds, bands of silver and gold. He leaned against the cool glass, barely comprehending his surroundings.

He didn't understand. They had fought so much before. Why was today any different?

Ranma remembered fighting about something trivial on the way home from school. Ranma, walking next to his fiancée, muttered his usual "You're so uncute, Akane." He recalled saying it with annoyance and didn't bother to even slow his pace. He only stopped when he noticed there was no retort. Halting, he looked behind where Akane stood, her eyes cast to her white sneakers.

"A-Akane?" he asked hesitantly.

Moments passed. Finally she looked up, the hurt in her eyes apparent. It was odd, though. Her eyes were still dry. "Aren't you tired of it all," she said in a quiet voice, "Ranma?" Akane waited for no response, just continued walking home. The remainder of the walk was unnervingly silent. Once home, Akane retreated to her room without a glance towards Ranma.

The lack of rage in Akane made Ranma feel guilty. Remorse plagued him, causing him to wander aimlessly, deep in thought—which is how he had ended up in front of the jewelry shop. His eyes focused on a necklace laid out in the display window: a yellow gem that hung from a delicate gold chain. He thought of Akane. It'd be perfect for her. He pictured her shy smile as he presented the necklace to her.

She really was cutest when she smiled.

A bell rang, signaling that the owner, a plump man with kind eyes and graying hair, had stepped outside his shop. He smiled at Ranma. "I couldn't help but notice you were looking at my window. Perhaps I can wrap something up for your girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" Ranma echoed. He gave a short laugh and shook his head. "She'd probably just call me a pervert," he mumbled, talking more to himself than the shop owner. "No thanks," he said in a louder but quavering voice.

He spun around, his back facing the window. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants, Ranma walked away.

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to M&N for betaing!


	15. O is for Opening

She frowned slightly as she watched Ranma practice a kata in the distance. He always looked so focused, so dedicated when training. Today, he practiced in his rarely worn white gi with his black belt wrapped around his waist. Akane looked down at her own outfit with a bit of envy and embarrassment. Before Ranma and his father moved in, she was known as the toughest martial artist in town.

Now she always had to depend on Ranma to save her, and her hard-earned yellow gi and red belt were a joke. No one took her seriously as a martial artist. Not Ukyo, not Shampoo, not…Ranma. Especially not Ranma. He never found it inappropriate to mock her martial art skills—or apparently, her _lack_ of skills. She was never granted any respect from him, even though she looked to him for approval. In a matter of moments, her jealousy converted into anger.

"Ranma," Akane shouted, interrupting his training. She ran into the dojo. Fists raised up and feet apart at shoulders' length, she scowled. "Fight me!"

He gave her a look of confusion from a few feet away before it turned to annoyance. "I was practicin'," he replied, giving off a bored look. "Besides, I don't hit girls, remember?"

She seethed in rage as he looked uninterested. Akane aggressively thrust a fist forward as she ran closer to him. Irritatingly, Ranma bent his torso to the left, dodging her attack. She tried with her other fist. He dodged again. She attempted a kick. Nothing—Ranma moved out of the way in time.

He was too fast.

Or she too slow, Ranma always taunted.

"Fight back!" Her throat was raw as she screamed. "You always fight me with insults—"

Punch! Flip!

Kick! Jump!

Hit! Block!

"—what's the difference with a few blows?" Akane finished, scowling at her failed attacks. So what if she wasn't better than anyone else? She fumed as they continued their pattern of missing and dodging throughout the dojo. Her breathing grew heavier, frustrated at her lack of progress. This was humiliating! How could she call herself a martial artist? She missed another chance at punching him squarely in the chest.

"Stop it, Ranma!" Akane snarled. "This isn't fair!"

Her fiancé flipped into the air, jumped over her head, and landed behind her. Akane quickly spun around. "You of all people should know that in Anything Goes Martial Arts," Ranma explained smoothly with a slight shrug, "anything goes."

Akane let out a furious growl as she swiped desperately at the front of his gi top. Successful at grabbing a fistful of material, she pulled him forward. Akane shut her eyes tightly as she worked up the courage to smash her lips onto his. She felt him freeze but then immediately soften up as she deepened the kiss. Akane pulled away and opened her eyes to discover Ranma stunned and barely functioning.

Satisfied, she swung her leg in a roundhouse kick, knocking Ranma onto his butt. He still looked a little shocked. She used the back of her sleeve to wipe the sweat off her forehead before resuming her fighting stance. She smirked. "How's that for an opening?"

Ranma shook out of his stupor. Still on the hardwood floor, he raised his head to look at Akane. "That doesn't count!" he protested. "It wasn't fair!"

"Hey," Akane replied with a slight shrug, fists still in the air. "Anything goes, right?"


	16. P is for Purring

The woman fingered the edge of her kimono sleeve. Looking at the mirror, she bit her lip. Maybe it was a bit much for her date with her husband. She shook her head. No, she would dress as fancy as she wanted. After all, how often did her husband offer to take her to the theatre and a nice restaurant?

Pinning her long hair up with a few bobby pins, the woman thought about it. Her husband _never_ took her out. She might as well enjoy it.

A series of loud knocks at the front door stopped her from finishing her hair. Making her way downstairs, careful to not trip over her kimono, she slid the front door open. A familiar-looking boy of about seven stood before her.

"Good day, Mrs. Saotome," greeted the boy politely, bowing slightly.

She smiled, putting a name to the boy's face. The boy's family had just moved in the house across the street, and the family had come over a few days ago to introduce themselves. "Hello, Kentaro."

"I ran into your husband, Mrs. Saotome."

She cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

The boy broke into a huge smile. "Yeah!" he exclaimed, jumping up and down a few times. "He was down the street. It's weird! I don't remember him being an animal a few days ago! It must be so cool!"

"Animal?" She frowned as she looked thoughtfully at the boy. He must be so lonely, moving to a new home and new school. She suddenly felt sorry for Kentaro's parents, currently unaware of the chaos that occurred in this town. Sure enough, her husband happily trotted through the entrance gates.

Kentaro twisted his body around to look at her husband. "Oh, there's Mr. Saotome!" He turned back. "Anyway, I gotta go. Do you think I could come over later and check out your dojo?"

She nodded approvingly. "Of course. I'll have my son show you around."

Kentaro took a few steps backwards and then turned around. "Thanks, Mrs. Saotome! Bye, Mr. Saotome!" he said as he passed by her husband.

Her husband walked up to her, and she knelt down on the floor. He crawled onto her lap, purring. He rubbed his face affectionately against her chest. Giving in, she sighed and began to pet his head. "Idiot," Akane murmured, smiling slightly. "Why do I put up with you?"

* * *

**AN: **I tried to make it sound like Nodoka, until the very end. I have no idea if I was successful or not, but whatever.


	17. Q is for Queen

Today, Ranma had quite an unusual mantra. "IhateyouIhateyouIhateyou," he chanted under his breath.

The ringing of a bell was heard. "Oh, Ranma," Akane said in a singsong voice from her room. Sighing heavily, he trudged over and set foot in his fiancée's room. She sat on her bed, arms crossed and back against the wall. His eyes spotted the little golden bell: right at this very moment, the bane of his existence.

"You rang?" This was asked with little enthusiasm.

"Excuse me?" she cried indignantly. She gasped and put a hand to her chest, feigning hurt.

Ranma sighed and straightened his posture. "I mean, you rang?" he said a little more joyfully.

Akane cleared her throat.

"You rang, _Queen_ Akane?" His voice became an octave higher, as if it were painful. His left eye started twitching.

Akane laughed. "Better."

Ranma looked at her expectantly, exasperatedly.

Her lips curved into a smirk. "I want lemonade." Before Ranma could leave, she added, "From WcDonald's."

"What?" Ranma spluttered. "That's all the way across town!"

Akane sucked in a sharp take of breath and raised an eyebrow. "Does my slave dare defy my authority?" she asked mockingly.

"Of course not, Queen Akane," he bit out and turned around to leave. "My apologies."

Akane snorted. "Sore loser."

_Note to self_, Ranma thought angrily to himself, _never, _ever_ play Old Maid with Akane_.

* * *

**AN:** If I recall, Ranma and Akane ate their burgers from a fast food joint called "WcDonald's" in season 1, episode 6. Well, they had a bag with an upside down "M"—a "W." Hence the WcDonald's. Thanks to N for the beta!


	18. R is for Reunion

Ranma ached for a nice hot bath. Slipping his shoes off, he stepped into the dojo and set his backpack down on the hardwood floor. He wondered what was for lunch and whether it was Kasumi or Akane who cooked his "welcome home" meal.

_Akane_, he thought with mild affection. It'd only been a week, but he'd actually missed her. Standing in the middle of the dojo, Ranma imagined his fiancée practicing with such determination and passion. He'd never admit it, but he missed her smile, her eyes, her voice—

"RANMA!" bellowed a voice behind him. Speak of the devil. He turned to see a breathtaking sight before him. Akane was dressed in a western-styled wedding gown that consisted of the most tulle and lace he'd ever seen. The hem of the skirt was splattered with mud and tattered enough to reveal the fact that Akane was missing one silver high heel. The veil she sported was no better than her dress; it was practically ripped to shreds. She glistened with sweat and her bangs matted to her forehead.

She looked absolutely livid.

Ranma decided to attempt a casual greeting. "Whoa, Akane! This wasn't exactly the kind of reunion I was thinking of, but hey—I appreciate the originality!" he joked, nervously raking a hand through his jet black hair.

Akane kicked her remaining shoe off, hiked up her skirt, and marched up to Ranma. He had to hand it to her: even though she was sweaty and dirty, Akane was still beautiful and radiant. "Don't make fun of me!" snarled Akane. "It's your fault I'm all gross and even in this get-up!" She jabbed him in the chest with a finger as she blamed him.

"_My _fault?" he squeaked out. "How is you going completely bridezilla on me _my_ fault?"

Akane threw her hands up in the air. "You wouldn't let me come to your training trip because I would 'just be distractin' and stuff,'" she mocked in the best Ranma imitation she could manage. "So you abandon me here and the second I step out of my house I'm kidnapped! Some perverted prince decided I would make the perfect bride and whisked me away to some palace in a country where I don't even speak the language! I finally escaped before we got married, but I socked him in the face, so now his kingdom and Japan are in talks to go to war and this-is-all-your-_fault_!"

Ranma repressed the laugh begging to come out, but quickly sobered. "I can't leave you out of my sight for one second, can I? Seems like the world can't get enough of my fiancée," he murmured, eyes locked with hers.

Akane's face softened under his gaze. "Ranma," she whispered. She sighed softly.

His heart pounded furiously. Ranma had to do this before he lost his nerve. He took her hand. "How 'bout marryin' me?"

Akane gave a slight gasp.

"I mean, if every time I go away and some guy is trying to marry you, it makes sense, right?" Ranma explained, babbling.

Akane took her hand back, eyes darkening. "Is _that_ the only reason you want to marry me? So when a prince kidnaps me, I could tell him, 'Oh, sorry. I'm already someone else's property'?" She clenched her hands into fists.

Ranma raised his hands in protest. "No, of course not!" he denied. She had it all wrong! Why was Akane always jumping to the wrong conclusions? "I-I-I—" he stammered.

"I'm going to take a bath," decided Akane while Ranma slightly gaped at her. "This is what we're going to do. I'm going to take a bath. And then you're going to take a bath. After we've both freshened up, we're going to have a talk. A very long talk—about what you're asking me, why you're asking me, and whether I should say yes or no."

Ranma wasn't used to an Akane who was very much in control and so collected. Ranma started to worry. What if she said no? His heart beat quickly as he watched her walk out, her skirt rustling behind her. As she got to the exit she stopped and turned around. She gave him a beautiful and enchanting smile, one that made Ranma's chest swell with hope.

And love.


	19. S is for Sexy

Let's get something straight here. Akane Tendo is _not_ sexy. There is nothing sexy about her.

Ranma hates that she hits him—or rather, that she can't hit. He hates that she thinks she's a martial artist. He hates that she can't cook, but she's too stupid to give up or realize she's never going to be as good as the other girls. He hates that she always cries at the stupidest things and she always blames him for them.

Ranma hates her smile. No, scratch that. He hates the way her smile makes him all hot and flustered. What's _that_ all about?

He hates that she has a good relationship with her family members, that she's popular in school and she doesn't even have to _try_, that people always want her to do sports even though she's so damn clumsy. He hates that the other boys at school are so easy to admit their love for her.

But Ranma especially hates how compassionate she is. She's kind to nearly everyone, including his sworn enemies or the people who kidnap her. He hates that _his_ enemies a lot of the times become _her_ friends. Even when they try to force marriage onto her, she'll still be kind to them.

They say that one could be killed with kindness, and Ranma has to agree. Akane's kindness toward others is killing _him_.

He hates the way she prances around all the time in her stupid short skirts showing legleg_legs_ for every man in Nerima to admire them. He hates how even though she's a stupid tomboy, she wears dresses and skirts like she's waiting for a real man to come by and notice her. And even though Ukyo and Shampoo dress better than her, it's Akane that the guys go gaga for.

"Ranma? Hello, earth to Ranma!"

He snaps out of his daze and remembers he accompanied Akane to the grocery store. On her tiptoes, Akane extends her arm up, trying to reach the bag of flour on the top shelf. In doing so, Ranma can't help but notice her already-short skirt is raised a few inches. "I can't get the flour. Get it for me, yeah?" she asks him.

Determined not to look at her bright eyes with an expectant gaze, her lips turned into a somewhat cute pout, and especially her uncovered legs, Ranma gulps and walks towards Akane.

Yeah. Definitely not sexy.


	20. T is for Tea Time

Akane sat at the dining table alone, sipping her tea. She stared at the cup nursed between her hands. Sighing heavily, she watched her breath produce ripples across the surface of her tea. She was _not_ looking forward to tonight. Just thinking about it made Akane bite her lip in anxiety. Why oh why did she agree to it?

"You thinkin' about me again?"

She looked up to see Ranma sitting across the table, a grin plastered on his face. A scowl was Akane's immediate reaction, but it soon turned a small smile. "No," she denied, shaking her head. Her heart began to pound in her chest, the way it did every time Ranma chose to show up randomly. "You _wish_."

Ranma shrugged. "Just had to ask."

She raised her cup to her lips and sipped. "Honestly, Ranma," she began, as she set her tea back down on the table, "don't flatter yourself." She watched his face carefully, trying to see a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes, but she saw nothing: just amusement. If Akane were to be honest, the fact that Ranma always showed up with a smile annoyed her greatly. Didn't he ever regret, or even feel guilty about _anything_? "Ranma," she said, suddenly tired, "what are you doing here?"

"I came to see how Akane Tendo's doing. What, can't I do that anymore?"

She shook her head. "First, it's still Akane Saotome." She raised her left hand to show him the gold band wrapped around her ring finger. "And second, no, you can't just pop in here anymore unannounced. It's… well, it's rude!"

"Still Akane Saotome, huh?" he asked, ignoring her last remark.

"Yes, _still_," she bit out. "We never divorced, you know." Her expression softened as she looked at her husband. "Ranma," she started exasperatedly.

"Your hair looks real nice like that," he interrupted her, nodding in her direction.

Consciously, she raised a hand to touch a curled lock, of which the end reached the top of her shoulder. Throughout the years since she'd known Ranma, Akane had gone through several hairdos, all of which Ranma liked. It had been years since she had the pageboy cut she sported in high school (admittedly Ranma's favorite haircut). But every time she had her hair changed Ranma, almost routinely, told Akane he liked her hair. This particular do, a bob temporarily fashioned with curls, seemed to pass the Ranma Saotome test.

"Nabiki…" She cleared her throat. "Nabiki gave me money to go to a salon to have it done."

"Got a hot date?" he joked.

She lowered her head, her gaze focused on her teacup.

"Wait, you really do?" Ranma's voice sounded genuinely surprised.

Still unable to look Ranma in the eye, she answered, "Well, I wouldn't exactly call it hot. Nabiki practically bullied me into it. It's just some businessman Nabiki happens to know. I don't even think I'm ready to…" She looked at him, eyes widening. "Ranma, if you want me to cancel, I'll do it. Just let me call—"

"Did I say I wanted you to cancel? I just wasn't expectin' it."

Akane frowned, eyebrows knitting together. "Geez, can't you even be bothered to be jealous?"

"I am jealous," Ranma replied calmly. Akane watched his right hand, which rested on top of the table, slowly clench into a fist. "God, believe me. It's just…there's really nothing I can do about it. You're technically free to date. Just do the guy a favor: don't wear the ring to the date, okay?"

"I'll wear it if I want to, Ranma," Akane snapped. She could take everyone else telling her how to run her life, but Ranma? He had the _nerve_ to tell her how she should live her life? His suggestion was near maddening. "Don't rush me into getting over you. Don't be…" She swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked the tears away. "Don't be like everybody else."

"Akane." She heard him sigh.

"I miss you, you know. Sometimes I wonder how my life would have turned out if you hadn't left me." She let out a shuddering breath. "Well, one thing's for sure, people wouldn't pity me. And they wouldn't try to take care of me all the time. I wouldn't have to depend on people. Or even have them worry about me. And Nabiki wouldn't force me to try and start dating again. And Takeru would have a father who's there for him. It kills me that he barely knows who you are. I just…" A small sob escaped her, and tears began to spill. "Sometimes I wonder when it's going to stop hurting so much."

"Akane," Ranma said slowly, "I _hate_ myself for hurtin' you this way. And I _hate_ not being there for you and Takeru. But I've been gone years now, and I want you to be happy."

"But I want—"

"Akane?" a voice called out from the front door. Akane whipped her head to the direction of the voice and then quickly to where Ranma sat. But his spot was already vacated—as soon as a new voice emerged, Ranma had left without another word. Nabiki walked in, clad in a black blazer and black pencil skirt, with a slight frown on her lips. "Akane, who were you talking to?"

Akane shook her head, wiping her eyes with a sleeve. "No one," she lied. There was no way she could explain the conversation she just had.

She saw Nabiki raise an eyebrow, but she didn't press the matter. "You were crying," she observed.

"Why isn't Takeru with you?" Akane asked, changing the subject. Shakily, and with her sister's help, she got up on her feet.

"He's staying at Daddy's tonight," Nabiki answered. Akane simply nodded and sighed. Sometimes it was still hard for Akane to believe that Nabiki had turned into a caring and loving sister. All throughout their lives, Nabiki had only cared about making money. But when Ranma had suddenly left Akane, leaving her pregnant and terrifyingly alone, Nabiki was the one who took care of her, often bringing her groceries and taking her to her ultrasound appointments. When Takeru was born, Nabiki was by her side. Even now, as her nephew grew, Nabiki was consistent at being a wonderful aunt.

"Akane…" Nabiki hesitated. "I know things have been rough since Ranma's death, but things are going to get better, okay?" Akane replied nothing as Nabiki paused for her to process her sentence. She just hung her head and stared at her feet. "Now let's get you ready for this date." The two began walking towards Akane's room.

"Okay," Akane answered, her voice a little hoarse. She nodded, not knowing whether she was agreeing to the date or Nabiki's assumption that things would get better. She honestly didn't know. "Okay."

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to N for the editing. I wrote this in contrast to "H is for Home." Similar to the story, I kept the cause of death intentionally vague.


	21. U is for Umbrella

After stowing her suitcase in the compartment above her, Akane had sat down and had finally begun to relax. She looked forward to coming home, almost disbelieving she was on a Nerima-bound train. The past few months of university were stressful and she couldn't wait to just spend time with her friends and family.

Akane closed her eyes and reclined into her cushioned seat. And maybe she'd get to see more of Ranma. Besides a few phone calls and a letter that barely passed for legible, she hadn't heard from him. She'd never admit it, but she had actually missed the moron. A smile tugged at her lips as she thought of him.

She glanced outside the window, aware of the current snowfall. She hoped her dad wouldn't have trouble getting to the station on time, she thought, before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Akane woke up fully rested. After she checked her watch, she felt relieved. She hadn't overslept, and the next stop was hers. She made to get ready by bringing her suitcase down and pulling her heavy coat on. Soon, the train came to a halt and Akane found herself walking onto the platform, looking for her father.

She found _him_ instead. He looked decidedly awkward in his light blue long-sleeve shirt and his neck wrapped in the yellow, poor excuse of a scarf she had made him a few Christmases ago. In one hand, Ranma held up a yellow umbrella. "Oh, Ranma," Akane murmured to herself happily, "you really do look like an idiot." Grinning, she walked up to him.

"Yo," he gave her as a form of greeting when she had come closer. With his free hand, he took her suitcase from her. "I mi—Welcome home," he finished lamely.

The sight of Ranma overwhelmed Akane and she suddenly threw her arms around him, not caring who saw, not minding that the material of the homemade scarf was rough against her face. She noticed Ranma stiffen, but he soon relaxed into the embrace. With her face buried into his chest came her muffled reply: "I missed you too."

They began to walk home, the umbrella above them.

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to N for betaing.


	22. V is for Vision

"Can't you just picture it, Akane?

"It would have to be in the spring so the sakura blossoms would be in season. We'd have the ceremony outside in the backyard, but not too close to the pond just in case of any accidents. We'd only invite the closest of friends this time. My buddies Hiroshi and Daisuke. Yuka and Sayuri for you. Any other people who haven't tried to kill us in the past.

"Of course, you'd have your stupid, pouffy wedding gown. But you'd look real cute in it. I guess I'd be in a tuxedo, but I wouldn't care what I was wearing the day I'm marrying you. Just as long as I'd get to.

"The dojo would be set up like a dance hall. And we'd have a live band. And we'd get to dance our first dance as a married couple. We'd fight, of course, on who gets to lead, but neither of us would really care. Those are just details. It's gonna be the happiest day of our lives.

"So what do you say, Akane?" Ranma whispered tenderly. "Would ya marry me?"

Akane merely snuggled against his bare chest, moaning a little. He, of course, expected no real answer. After all, she was asleep, and had been every single time he asked her.

It was amazing, really. Ranma was pretty sure they were the only people in people in the world who went from being strangers to fiancés to boyfriend and girlfriend. Careful not to wake her, he turned to look outside the window. The sun was just beginning to rise, meaning he had a few more minutes before he could sneak back into his and his parents' room without getting caught. His mind strayed to the velvet box tucked squarely away in his underwear drawer.

One day—hopefully soon—Ranma would have the courage to ask Akane when she was wide awake.


	23. W is for Wedding Dance

Ranma looked at the scene displayed before him. The dance floor seemed inviting, various couples moving rhythmically to the music. And in the center of it all was Akane—dancing with Ryoga.

She was absolutely radiant, she had the biggest of smiles, and nothing could take away her happiness. The big white dress she wore hardly called for any activity that required movement, but nothing on her face showed worry for her dress. Squealing in laughter, she twirled and spun with Ryoga. For a moment, Ranma felt a twang of jealousy, but he mentally told himself to stop it. It was Akane's wedding day. He would do nothing to ruin her special day.

As the song was dying down, Ranma strode to the center of the dance floor where Ryoga and Akane danced. "May I cut in?" he asked, suddenly uncomfortable in his tuxedo.

The dancing couple halted. Ryoga merely raised an eyebrow and smirked, before letting go of his dancing partner. He boldly kissed Akane on the cheek and walked away. If they had still been teenagers, Akane would have turned beet red and Ryoga would have been punted through the roof. But that was so long ago, and today Akane simply giggled before turning to Ranma.

The next song had a slower tempo, causing the two to dance with their bodies closer together. "I already danced with you, you know," she said, amused.

Ranma smiled back. "I know." The next few measures of the song called for a twirl, and took a step back as Akane's layered skirt fanned out. "Akane," he choked.

She looked up at him earnestly.

"Your husband's an idiot."

Akane took in a sharp take of breath. "Oh, Ranma."

"No, really! If it took him this long to tell you he loved you and make an honest woman out of you"—she scoffed, but both were smiling—"then he's the stupidest jerk that ever existed."

Akane's brows knitted together. It was the first time she looked cross today, Ranma noted. The two of them had stopped dancing. Akane looked up with a determined glare. "Ranma, look at me. No, look at me. I wouldn't have married my husband today if I didn't love him and if I didn't know he loved me. I know it took him a long time—"

"Boy, did it ever," he interrupted.

"—for him to tell me he loved me," she gave him a pointed look, "but the truth is I've known for a while. And he may be the stupidest jerk, but he's _my_ stupid jerk, got that? Oh," Akane added, a big grin on her face, "no one calls him a stupid jerk but me."

Ranma cupped her cheek with a hand. No doubt about it, Akane had to be the most gorgeous woman in Japan. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her silly right here on the dance floor. "God, you're so beautiful, Akane," he breathed. "What did I ever do to deserve this?"

Akane sighed. "Oh, Ranma," she exclaimed, before she practically flung herself on him. This was nothing like the sweet, innocent kiss they had shared earlier that day. Their bodies were pressed against each other, and Akane's hands traveled upwards until her palms were flat against his chest. Ranma's own arms wrapped around her, hands placed at the small of her back. They kissed each other passionately, hungrily. Neither of them was willing to be the first to stop.

The sound of a gong hit, and they broke apart, confused. "And we have a winner!" Nabiki's voice was heard through a microphone. Ranma looked at the stage where the DJ had set up his equipment. Naturally, Nabiki stood onstage next to a gong, holding a microphone. She looked at the watch on her wrist. "Who had the dance floor—6:45?" She squinted her eyes, scanning the reception hall.

"Ooh, that's me!" Yuka exclaimed, flailing a piece of paper in the air. She ran up onstage to collect her prize: a big screen TV. Applause rang throughout the hall. And as quickly as it happened, the music started up again, couples starting to dance to the next song. It was as if the little interruption had never happened.

"Wh—" Ranma began.

"What's going on?" Akane asked, looking around.

Shampoo and Ryoga sashayed by. "Is wedding reception betting pool," Shampoo explained over her shoulder. "Person who guesses time and place where you try to have sex win TV. Too bad." She shrugged. "I bet after ceremony at altar."

Ryoga shook his head in dismay. "Honestly, Ranma, I thought you would've waited until you two got to the hotel at least." The two whisked away, leaving the newlyweds to process this information.

"What great friends we have," Akane muttered sarcastically. The two still clung to one another.

"What do you say to ditching these gamblers and having a little fun on our own?" He brushed her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb.

Akane grinned and grabbed his hand. "Let's." She squealed as Ranma tipped her over and carried her bridal style. A little bit too eagerly, Ranma ran to the exit and kicked the door open. Akane laughed as she held on, wrapping her arms around his neck for support.

"And there goes the happy couple, leaving for the honeymoon suite!" Ranma heard Nabiki's cheery, over amplified voice. "So who bet they would last until 6:50?"

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to N for betaing and surviving this sappy piece!


	24. X is for X factor

"Your mother is something else," you murmur to your child, who is conveniently asleep, head on your shoulder as you carry him. You feel a puddle of drool seeping through your red shirt. You step through the entrance with the automatic sliding doors, fluorescent lights hitting your face in an instant that cause you to squint. With your child still in your arms, you bend over this way and that to grab a shopping basket stacked high from the floor.

Your eyes scan the grocery store until you see the sign for aisle 5: COOKIES, CRACKERS, CANDY, SNACKS.

After a few minutes, you adjust your son in a better position to keep him from slipping. He stirs in his sleep as you reach for a package of dried cuttlefish at the bottom shelf. Successfully, you toss the package into the basket. You smile in satisfaction, but it quickly dissolves as no one is around to praise your ability to juggle a son, a basket, and junk food around.

"Ranma," you hear a familiar voice. You can't quite wrap it around your head. "Ranma, is that you?"

Turning towards the voice, you instantly recognize it. Ukyo. You rack your brain, trying to remember the last time you saw her. It must be years ago, you decide, because she wasn't at the wedding. Well, you snort inwardly, at least not the _successful_ one. "Ukyo." Not Ucchan. Ukyo. The name is foreign to your tongue, but you realize she hadn't called you Ran-chan, either. Your son whines in protest at the noise.

"Oh, wow," Ukyo breathes. "Who—who's this?" She's two feet away, her stare fixated at your son. You can't quite read her eyes. Is it a combination of regret and curiosity?

"This is Satoshi," you say after a moment's hesitation. "He just turned three." You watch her, taking this all in. She's the same, really. Has the same long brown hair, sports the exact clothes she wore when you were in high school. It's her eyes, though, you notice, that have changed. They're more peaceful and wiser now, less angry. "What brings you here?" you bring up. After all, it's nearly eleven, well past Satoshi's bedtime.

She holds up a carton of milk; you suddenly remember to pick up a carton of milk before you leave the store. "You?" she asks. Her eyes stray to your basket full of brightly colored packages of black licorice, barbecue rice crackers, chocolate covered almonds, and the likes.

"Just snacks." You laugh.

"H-How's Akane?" she asks hesitantly.

"Great. Pregnant," you blurt out. Actually, it's the reason you and Satoshi are here in the first place. Irritated with you, your wife kicked you out with your son, telling you not to come back until you brought her the snacks she so desperately craves. She was near tears when she found the package of cuttlefish empty. These days, anything and everything will set your wife off to waterworks.

"Congratulations," Ukyo exclaims happily, though her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Listen, I just moved back in town," she continues. "We should get together sometime."

"Definitely," you agree, but neither of you makes an effort to exchange contact information. You suppose, if she really wanted, she could drop by the Tendo residence. It's the place you've called home ever since you were sixteen.

She makes the first move to leave. "It was good seeing you. Fatherhood suits you, Ranma," she adds a moment later. Ukyo walks off.

You feel a twinge of guilt that it was so awkward between the two of you. But you really don't have time to dwell on that. Your wife is expecting you to bring home the cuttlefish and milk any moment now. After adjusting your son once more and kissing him atop his head, you set out for the dairy section.


	25. Y is for Yes

In the middle of the tea room, Ranma knelt on one knee as he held Akane's hand and looked pleadingly into her eyes. "Please please please please please PLEASE," he begged.

Akane, standing with her shoulders slouched, gave off a bored and annoyed look. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"I'm beggin' you, Akane. You won't regret it if you say yes." Never had Ranma looked so pathetic. With Ranma's good fortune, both his and Akane's families found it the right time to walk in on the couple.

"Oh!" Nodoka exclaimed while Akane's father and sisters could only gape. Genma, in his panda form, held up a wooden sign that read, _Don't mind us, son_.

"Okay, fine!" Akane relented, snatching her hand back. Her face turned red in embarrassment.

"Yes? You're saying yes?" Ranma asked excitedly.

"Yes, okay? I'm saying yes. Shut up now!"

"Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Ranma exclaimed happily, jumping to his feet. In his ecstasy, he leaned over and kissed Akane on the cheek. He then proceeded to skip merrily in circles with Soun and Genma.

Akane sighed exasperatedly, shaking her head. She might've said yes, but it was Ranma who was going to tell their families he had only asked her to consider enrolling in a cooking school.

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to N for editing!


	26. Z is for Zero

It all started when Miss Hinako decided to teach the Birds and the Bees to class 1-F. Upon discovering that the majority of her class (especially, in her eyes, Ranma) was perverted, Miss Hinako made it her duty to present the facts of life to her high school class. Never mind that she was not a Biology teacher, nor was she ever trained to teach a handful of teenagers sex education. Several students tried to tell her so, that how could they learn about sex from a teacher who was a _child_ half of her life?

A ki zapping to one Daisuke Tanaka quickly shut the rest of the class up.

And so, 1-F pored over human anatomy books, learning things about the body that no other adult would teach them.

Normally, Ranma would hate learning. Normally, he'd fall asleep during Miss Hinako's lectures. But secretly, Ranma was interested. Very, _very_ interested. He'd never known how complex the human body could be. And embarrassingly enough, before yesterday, Ranma had never known how exactly babies were made. Of course, if anybody would ask, he'd deny it and say school was a waste of time.

In direct contrast to Ranma's sudden interest in learning, Akane was having a rather difficult time adapting to the new subject. When Miss Hinako announced her agenda to the class, Akane was the first to openly protest. "Hey, wait a minute," she had exclaimed, standing up from her seat and placing her palms flat on her desk, "you can't just suddenly decide to teach us a different subject. Your degree isn't on teaching us sex education!"

A few students voiced their agreements.

"Considering that you're the one with a fiancé," Miss Hinako began in her child form, cocking her head to the side cutely, "I'd think you'd be the first one to want to know all about sex."

With those words, Ranma remembered his cheeks flushing red. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Akane in a similar position—though whether her face was red out of anger or embarrassment, Ranma wasn't too sure.

"Ran-chan's my fiancé, too!" Ukyo piped up. In her eagerness, her hand shot up and she waved it around. "_I'd_ be the first one to want to know all about sex!"

He watched Akane roll her eyes, cross her arms over her chest, and sit back down.

Daisuke simply scratched his head in confusion. "What can a little kid teach _us_ about sex?"

ZAP!

"Now," a grown-up Miss Hinako said, tossing her long brown hair over her shoulder, "we should be getting the textbooks by tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll be explaining the menstrual cycle to the class."

Several of Ranma's classmates groaned, including Akane. Not knowing what it was, Ranma just gave a worried glance to his friend Daisuke before bringing his attention to the front of the class.

* * *

Over the next few days, Ranma learned so much about the human body, he began to find learning fun. Finally, there was a subject, besides P.E., that he was naturally good at. And though Miss Hinako was never taught to teach sex ed to her students, she wasn't doing too bad of a job. Maybe Akane was right all this time. Maybe he really _was _a pervert. He'd come to agree with his fiancée once they began learning the female body. He peeked at Akane, who was disdainfully looking at an illustrated picture of a naked female.

Akane had grown uncomfortable just looking at it. He, on the other hand, wasn't embarrassed at all by the picture.

"I guess she's right," Ranma murmured to himself, shocked with his revelation. "Am I becoming like Happosai?"

* * *

Ranma shouldn't have been surprised. After all, half his class was girls, and all girls—well, cute un-tomboyish girls—liked to talk about boys, weddings, babies, and stuff. So with the discussion of ovaries and fallopian tubes, it really shouldn't have been a shocker to hear the girls talk about babies and how many they wanted.

He_ really_ shouldn't have been surprised.

During lunch, the girls clustered together by a tree and began to discuss the number of girls and boys they each would have. Most of them giggled behind their hands, but Ranma saw Akane sit against the tree trunk with her shoulders slumped and her arms folded across her chest. The scowl that she usually reserved for Ranma was upon her face this very moment.

The girls were talking so noisily that Ranma didn't have a hard time trying to eavesdrop.

"How many kids do you want, Ukyo?" Sayuri had asked her.

"I think I'd want five kids with Ranma," she replied loudly. Ranma was pretty sure she was aware he was listening in; she sneaked a peek in his direction, and his face became bright red. "All boys."

"What about you, Akane? If you were the one to marry Ranma, how many kids would you want?" Sayuri asked.

Ranma's ears perked up. He was so caught up in the conversation, he didn't notice the old man leaping into campus with a sack on his back. The little man began bouncing towards the group of girls. "Whatta haul! Whatta haul!" he hollered gleefully.

Calmly, Akane got up to her feet. "You want to know how many kids I'd want with Ranma?" Akane said, snarling. "ZERO!" she screamed, before punching Happosai into the sky. "Like I'd ever have kids with such a _pervert_."

Ranma glowered and stepped up to the group. "Oh yeah?" he said loudly, forgetting he was an eavesdropper. "Like I'd ever have kids with such an uncute chick!"

Akane harrumphed and walked into the school building.

She didn't talk to him when they walked home from school. During dinner, she barely acknowledged him. Well, fine! If she didn't want to talk to him, then he shouldn't be bothered by it. He should relish the fact that her booming voice wasn't shattering his eardrums.

* * *

Ranma lay in the dark, eyes cast to the ceiling. He couldn't sleep. It was probably because the other occupant in the room was snoring softly. It probably wasn't because Akane was mad at him for something. Maybe he should talk to Akane. Perhaps he should apologize or something.

But it was the middle of the night, and Ranma doubted she'd want to talk to him. But wouldn't she get even angrier if he didn't at least _try_ to apologize?

Although…they _did_ have their test the next day. Maybe she'd want to ignore it until after the test.

Unless their fight would be on her mind and it would just mess her up. She'd probably want to get this silly fight out of the way so she could concentrate on her test.

But, hey! Why did he have to apologize in the first place? He did nothing wrong.

Right?

_What to do, what to do_, Ranma debated. _I should just talk to her_.

He should just suck it up and get it over with. Sitting up, he twisted to his side and crouched over to shake Akane. "Hey, Akane," he whispered. He shook her slightly. "Wake up. I gotta tell you something."

Akane, who lay on her side and had her back to Ranma, merely grunted.

"Akane," he hissed.

"I don't want to _talk_ to you right now, Ranma," she told him, refusing to face him.

"Well, I wanna talk to you."

"Ranma," Akane bit out. "I swear to God that if I'm too tired to pass the biology test tomorrow, I will personally make sure you won't have a functioning vas deferens to ever worry about."

Ranma couldn't help but grin. "Hey. You're learning."

She lightly elbowed his gut. "I'm serious, Ranma. You should be lucky I'm even letting you sleep in my bed tonight."

Ranma snorted softly. "Ha. Lucky?"

This time she elbowed him harder.

"Oof!" Ranma bent over and clutched his stomach. "Sheesh! I was just gonna say I was sorry that I said I never wanted to have kids with someone so uncute."

"Okay, you apologized. Now shut up before I wake up the rest of the house by screaming that you snuck into my bed uninvited."

Ranma gulped nervously. He would have retorted that no one would've believed Akane, but they both knew that was a lie. Ranma was blamed for nearly everything. Watching Akane sleep soundly, he chuckled softly.

"Now what?" Akane asked, her back still facing him.

Ranma shook his head. "Nothin'," he said, settling back into the bed. He curled up on his side next to Akane, technically talking to her back. "I just think it's funny that you act so innocent in Miss Hinako's class, but we've been doing this—whatever this is—for months and ya haven't complained yet. And people think I'm a pervert."

"You _are_ a pervert," she replied. "But I suppose sleeping with a pervert makes me one, too."

Ranma stared at Akane as a silence fell between them.

"_Now_ what?" Akane asked.

"I've thought about it," Ranma started.

"And?" she prompted tiredly.

"I think I want three. Kids," he clarified. "Two boys and a girl."

He waited for a response but none came. Figuring Akane fell back asleep, he sighed. But moments later, he felt Akane shift. Ranma watched her turn to her side to face him. She grinned. "Sometimes, you can be such a girl. I hope you don't think I'm going to be the one having all three of them."

"I'm a guy," Ranma protested, frowning.

Sleepily, she patted his cheek and brushed her lips against his. Yawning and closing her eyes, she commanded, "Go to sleep, dummy."

With Akane peacefully in his arms, Ranma did just that.

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to N for editing. And thank you, everyone, for reading. It's been fun!


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